.

We have not always found comfort in killers.
We have not always found solace being rocked
in the bosoms of those who silently pray
and openly destroy.
No, not always have we mistaken mimicry for mastery
or pretending for knowing
or enslavement for freedom.
But across my memory—
across my memory marches millions—
bold, regal, resilient, confident—
unshackled feet stumping up spirits
to guide us through this fickle material world.
We like sun and moon folk,
universal souls praying our prayers,
singing our songs.
Eshu, Ogoun, Shango, Yemaja, Oshun, Obatala, Oya,
Damballah, Ayida Wedo, Loa, Nkongo, Olodumare and Yami.
We know all of you by name.
We are people of beginnings, of culture, of strength.
Not always have we given into the empty threats
and scare tactics of the powerless ones.
Not always have we allowed the blood of our sons and daughters
to color the streets while we’re walking asleep,
marching to the beat of that siren song.
They’re still wearing their sheets,
with nooses in reach,
showing their teeth and smiling, it seems.
But I hear in the breeze
in the rustle of the trees
and the dangling of the feet,
they say, please, don’t let them ever forget.
You see, not always have we suffered from amnesia.
Not always have we forgotten how to conjure up spirits,
ancestor wisdom,
fix up a mixture,
spiritual elixir,
ancient traditions.
We, like magicians,
god-like vision, we—
we are people of sight.
So, no, not always have we fallen
for this okie doke
or inhaled the hazardous smoke of the manipulators
or been satisfied with crumbs for meals
our hands have prepared.
Hughes said life for us ain’t been no crystal stair,
but at least the steps are there
to push us up higher,
teach us how to go beyond the destroyer’s disguises,
look them in the eyes and be able to see.
Because what’s surprising when you know the nature of a beast
and especially when they’ve shown the same face for centuries?
So you tell me,
what’s the difference between two sisters in New Orleans
shot point-blank in the back of the head,
and two women bound in their car in Baghdad?
Or government-sanctioned killings in Kenya,
and a sister held hostage in a house in Virginia?
Or poverty in Haiti, poverty in Jamaica,
rape in Rwanda or rape in Somalia?
A sweatshop in China or one in Guatemala?
Or small pox and blankets, syphilis and Tuskegee,
formaldehyde and FEMA, ethnic cleansing and Katrina?
I recall within a speech Dr. King made us aware,
he said injustice anywhere is injustice everywhere.
So they can spare us their drama, huh?
We got the heart of them field working mamas.
We carry the torch of that ancestor fire.
So with every fiber that flutters in our being,
with every find that comes from our seeking,
with every hearing that comes from our listening,
and every sight that comes from our seeing,
we must be faithful, strategic, victorious and free.

-Sunni Patterson 

BBW Book Sales. (^_^)

Assalamualaikum~~~ long time no post eh? hehe

ok, so for today i will share about my recent going to the BBW Books Sales.

you guys familiar with Big Bad Wolf Book Sales?
well, let me tell you this- it is the ultimate books-shopping experience that i`ve been to! (so far).
this once-a-year book sales offers books at 70-90% discount! imagine that and it is not used books okeyh!
this year, the event was hold on the 12-17th november at south city plaza and i got a chance to be there~ hehehe

so i went there from gombak and after 2 bus rides, one lrt ride and one ktm ride later, i arrived to this "heaven for booklovers". and actually went there alone because nobody wanted to accompany me. (T_T). wuwuwuwu. oh, and i went there on the first day and in the morning where the famous, most-coveted books were still there. most of titles by stephen king were already "cleaned" though, and it`s only an hour since the sales start, how crazy is that? but i was unfortunate enough to get 2 of his books- the stand, and skeleton crew which by the way, both was the last copy of the title.

here are some pictures :-

the sales! - look at all those beauties! the varieties and choices almost killed me. hhahah

my stash of books, i brought the green bag *was prepared coz i know my books would be heavy.

my beloved books! <3

i could die happy~

GOT THIS FOR A FREAKIN RM12!! I REPEAT RM 12!!!

 
i honestly can say that the experience of going to the sale was to be compared to going to genting or vacation or something like that. hahaha. i mean the books were so cheap that the sales prepared boxes for the customers to put their books in and my stash of seventeen books were actually very little to be compared to those other crazy bookies! hahahaha.

you know what? i`m craving for next year BBW sales already! and i will prepare much much more money than this year which was RM 180 something. ahahaha.

hey, even if you`re not so much of a book person, you should at least come for there are a lot of books varieties -architecture, recipes, children books, political, history, and academic things like the dictionary i bought. and who knows that you would be able to gain interest in reading. i mean, reading is never bad right? hehehe :P


p/s-i don`t know why, but too much reading novels will always cause sleep disturbance to me.  i mean, continous images will appear in my mind during my sleep. is this normal? (>_<)